Burnley boss Sean Dyche admits he was priced out of a move for Watford striker Troy Deeney ahead of the pair's Premier League reunion at Turf Moor on Monday.

Dyche knows the 28-year-old well from his own time at Vicarage Road, where he served as Malky Mackay's assistant before becoming manager for the 2011/12 season.

That was also Deeney's breakthrough campaign, with 10 goals after in 22 matches after the turn of the year and Dyche never lost his regard for the striker, who has gone on to become the Hornets' inspirational captain.

Dyche was linked with a move for his former charge during the Clarets previous top-flight campaign two years ago but revealed it never got off the ground.

"As soon as they said the amount of money he went straight out of my thinking," said Dyche.

"I will remind you we are Burnley, money is not easy to come by...even when you have it it's not easy to come by. He's a very good player and like anyone you have interest in good players.

"Jose Mourinho's quote is spot on, it's not whether you think it's value or not value, it's whether you get him or not. There's no common sense value or worth...it's like the London housing market, £4million for a studio in Knightsbridge.

"True value and worth is when you work with them every day. For me he'd be really good value as a player and as a person with what he brings around the group.

"Troy knew the respect I had for him and he still does."

Deeney has scored twice against Dyche's Burnley in the Championship but the pair have never crossed paths in the top tier until now.

That Deeney is making a success of life in the Premier League – with 13 goals last season and strikes against West Ham and Manchester United in his last two matches – is a considerable achievement for someone who started out at Chelmsley Town.

And Dyche believes he was present at a low-key but crucial moment in his progression.

"I'll never forget, we were at a very small fans' forum, because Watford were a different animal then, I've got a feeling it was in Rickmansworth," he recalled.

"We had a panel, we'd just sold Marvin Sordell and someone said 'who's going to score the goals?'. Troy was sitting next to me and I just looked at him as he said 'me'. I won't use the other word he said.

"There was something in that moment when the penny dropped, internally I mean, just the way he said it. It sounds crazy but there was something in the way he conducted himself at that moment and I thought 'he means it'.

"He's never looked back, started playing even better, became that really strong figure for us and just went from strength to strength."